


Trapped

by artbyweb86



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Dehydration, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Worried Phil Lester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24095506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artbyweb86/pseuds/artbyweb86
Summary: Dan tackles the storage closet and gets trapped inside. Phil worries when he sees the clutter. No sign of Dan and his phone is still on the bed.
Relationships: Dan Howell & Phil Lester, Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the title from When Did Cleaning Become So Dangerous to Trapped. 
> 
> This is when Dan and Phil were in their old apartment. 
> 
> I know they didn't have a lot of storage.
> 
> I pictured them having a side closet, something that is under the stair frame. (even though they didn't)

Dan observed his room. Spotless and everything was in perfect order, just the way he liked it.

His OCD must have kicked in, because he was still energized from cleaning his room, so he wanted to tackle something else. 

Glancing at his phone, it showed 2 am.

With a shrug, he thought about cleaning their storage closet. 

With all the videos they have done lately, they accumulated so many more things.

Phil was asleep in the other room. And claiming to be the “heavy” sleeper that he is, he felt he could make some noise and he wouldn’t hear a thing.

He opened the hall closet and was shocked at the chaos he found. The items looks like they were ready to fall out. Who ever opened the closet next might experience an avalanche, and potential injures. Phil might have become the first vicim as he is always going in there for video ideas. 

Pulling things out one by one, he dragged them into the hall.

He struggled with some of the bigger boxes, but he was making progress.

He had forgotten how big the closet actually was and they certainly didn’t utilize the space very well. 

There were a few small items at the very back, so he crawled in to grab them.

Just then, he heard something move and a crash and the door closed with a bang!

He was enveloped in darkness.

He was still for a moment, trying to figure out what happened. 

A box must have fallen over and closed the door.

He turned the knob and pushed. The door wouldn’t budge. 

Trying not to panic, he tried again, using all his strength. The door didn’t even move an inch. 

He didn’t think the door was locked, as there was no lock for it to begin with.

He jiggled the doorknob, thinking it must have just jammed. 

Nothing.

He turned the knob again and used his body as leverage, trying to take pressure off, something, he didn’t know, but that was the only thing he could think of. 

After a few minutes of adjusting his body and weight, he heard a small clunk on the outside and then the knob came off in his hands. He stared at the hole in disbelief. Did that really just happen?

He was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic now. The small space felt stuffy, and since it was summer (during the hottest week yet), seemed worse three-fold. And, of course, he left his phone in his room. Mentally smacking his brain for being so stupid.

Trying to keep his breathing in check, he started pounding on the door and yelling Phil’s name, as loud as he could. The small space dampened his sound.

After what seemed like hours of hitting the door with his hand and yelling until his voice was hoarse, he stopped. Pretty sure his hand will be bruised in no time.

Now he was a big sweaty mess. Great.

Resigned to the fact he may be in here for a while, he tried to get comfortable.

Standing wasn’t an option, as the roof of the closet was sloped and only five feet at the highest point. Not that he really wanted to anyway. He had already spent several hours cleaning his room and he was getting tired now.

Cursing loudly he sat down. The space was big enough to stretch his legs out. Leaning against the wall, he tried to get comfortable.

He figured it was about 3 am now. Phil might get up around 10 or 11. 

His mind continued to churn as he thought of worse case scenarios. He tried to ease them, but thinking always spiraled into something else.

It was about 6 when he finally drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

It was about 9:30 am when Phil finally stirred. He stretched and yawned, not ready to leave the comfort of his bed just yet. He listened as he heard the construction next door. Did they ever take a break? They seemed to have been working on that building for the past year now. 

He was just glad that it didn’t wake him at 7. That is when they usually start and something they do always startles him awake. 

It actually felt comfortable this morning. The heat and humidity of yesterday had been oppressive. He looked out the window to see clouds drifting in. Checking his phone, he noticed that this was only temporary. By noon it would be in the 30’s again. Sunny and high humidity too.

With a sigh he threw the covers off, but stayed put, burying his head into the pillow.

He was glad he had purchased a new pillow recently. One side had some type of foam that always stayed cool. He was so happy when he came across this in an article. Especially with this heat, it was a life saver. Thank you late night web browsing!

He did have the portable air conditioner that he put into the window. But it had been on the fritz lately and no longer made a soothing sound when it turned on. It would be impossible to sleep with it on.

Maybe he should buy one soon. He made a mental note to do some research later today.

He drifted off to the constant sound of the drill. Almost like white noise.

That changed quickly as they now started hammering and one worker shouting instructions.

With a huff, he sat up in bed and searched his bedside table to his glasses. He put them on, and checked his phone for any messages. A couple texts from his mum. 

**Mum: Morning Dear.**   
**What time do you plan on coming tomorrow?**   
**Will Dan be able to join us this time?**

**Phil: I am not sure.**   
**he said he would like to try.**   
**has a few projects he want to catch up on**   
**but knowing him…**

**Mum: That’s all right.**   
**Last minute or not at all is ok too**   
**I just worry**

**Phil: I know. Me too. I’ll keep you posted.**

**Mum: Love you**

**Phil: Love you too.**

_He worried about Dan…_

Shaking that thought from his head, he got up and stretched again. 

He opened his door and stubbed his foot on a duffle bag, almost face planting into their suitcases.

Grabbing onto the frame of his door, he regained his balance. He stared into the hallway in shock. 

The hallway was a mess! 

Bags and boxes of props used for video ideas, their suitcases and a whole bunch of things where just scattered, totally filling the hallway, with little room to walk around.

He knew Dan had mentioned wanting to organize the closet under the stairs soon, but didn’t actually think he had been serious. That was a monumental task, and Dan never had the attention span to actually take it on. Something always distracted him. Same went for his videos. Not that he ever judged his work process.

Shuffling a few steps to the left, he opened Dan’s door. Empty. But it looked meticulous and clean. So, he had done something. 

Shaking his head, he went back into the hallway in search of his roommate. 

He walked past the closet door and noticed it looked different. 

Huh. The handle had fallen off. Weird.

He tugged at the hole in the door, but the door didn’t move.

Shrugging his shoulders at that mystery, he moved towards the rest of the house. Maybe Dan went searching for tools. They had a small collection in the closet by their entryway, but he wasn’t sure anything could be used to repair the handle. They hadn’t been touched.

After searching the rest of the house, he concluded that Dan was definitely not home.

After Dan’s recent diagnosis of depression, which was a relief for finally getting an answer for his behavior and nerve wracking, as he never knew when to expect it. He was either catatonic and never left his bed, or had to get up and go out. When he did that, he would leave his cell phone and wallet. He would just walk for hours to try and get out of his head. Never left a note and would return hours later, without an explanation. But he had been doing much better lately and his episodes became fewer and far between. 

Thankfully he was sticking with his therapy. And found the proper medications. It had been a rough year or so, finding the right combination. As one would make him groggy, and another would make him sick and irritable.

Might as well give it another hour. He didn’t know how long he could have been out already.

He made his coffee and sat on the couch, scrolling through social media. Maybe he was hoping to find a clue to what Dan might have been doing. 

Nothing posted from Dan’s twitter. 

No fan sightings.

He decided to call PJ. He and Dan had been planning to collab with him soon. Dan had a lot of ideas and would frequently consult with PJ on the script. 

He dialed his number, after a few rings it went to voice mail.

Not wanting to raise any alarms, he just asked if he could call him back.

Next he tried Louise. She was almost like Dan’s second mother, even though she was only 10 years older.

She picked up after the first ring.

“Hello Phil, dear! How are you?”

“Well, to be honest. I am a little worried. I think Dan went on one of his walks again. I don’t know how long he has been gone. He left the hallway a mess. He pulled out everything in our storage closet, I assume to organize it and just left it that way. Have you talked to him recently?”

“Oh! I talked to him a few days ago. I know these things hit him like a train, but he seemed really good to me. He was really excited for the project you both had with PJ. Have you talked to him?”

He was pacing near the hallway, looking at the mess before him.

“I left a message. I know I shouldn’t be worrying so much. Maybe he just got overwhelmed with the clutter in the hall and had to get out. But it’s been so hot out. He didn’t take his wallet or phone.”

“Goodness. He doesn’t think ahead. That boy! I’ll give him a good lecture when he gets back.”

“Ha! I know. Thanks for making me laugh. I might be overreacting. But all I seem to do lately is worry. It’s a little overwhelming at times.”

“Hon, you gotta tell him that. Not when he is in that state, obviously. But I know you. You tend to bottle your feelings and he is none the wiser. He knows you are there and try to help. But if he know how this make you feel, maybe he will go out of his way to let you know how he is feeling as well.”

The banging from the construction outside was getting a little louder, making it hard to hear Louise now. 

“Sorry, Louise. I gotta go. The construction next door is picking up and I can barely hear myself think.”

“Don’t they ever take a break?” Earning a chuckle on the other end.

“My thoughts exactly. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Keep your chin up! All will be OK.”

The banging continued, but it sounded different from the usual noise outside.

He then heard a muffled shout. It sounded like Dan, but where was it coming from?

“Dan?” 

He walk closer to where he thought he heard the noise. The hallway?

“Phil! Thank God! I am stuck in the closet!” His voice sounded very hoarse.

He looked toward the door and saw Dan poke a few fingers out through the doorknob hole and wiggle them a little. 

“Oh my God!”


	3. Chapter 3

Dan woke up with a groan.

His neck and back were stiff from sleeping sitting up. He sat up to roll his shoulders and stretch the tenseness out and was immediately struck with dizziness and then nausea. 

He stilled and breathed through it. In through the nose and out through the mouth. He placed his head between his knees while doing this. He found this helped a lot when he was on new meds that made him very dizzy and sick. That had been resolved long ago and was never hoping to experience that feeling ever again.

He continued his breathing exercise for a few more minutes. The dizziness went away, but he felt very groggy and thirsty. A headache now forming at the base of his skull.

He tried to remember the last time he drank anything. It might have been at lunch yesterday. Coffee and maybe half a glass of water. Not good. Especially in this heat and he probably over did it with cleaning his room and then dragging out the heavy items in the closet he is currently in. Which was beginning to feel more hot and stuffy.

Turning towards the hole in the door, he moves to a kneeling position to peer out. Another dizzy spell hits him. He braces himself and waits for it to pass.

He peers out, but can’t see much. The lighting is a little different. Daylight. Phil must be up then, as he opens his curtains and the sun usually lights his room up for most of the morning.

Was that talking? Yes, but it was faint, as if someone was outside. The door is so thick, he doesn’t realize that Phil is only a few feet away. Pacing and talking to Louise. So he starts banging on the door and yelling as loud as he could. His voice rough and scratchy.

“Dan?” He was never so happy to hear Phil’s voice.

“Phil! Thank God! I am stuck in the closet!” He sticks a couple fingers out the hole. He hears a gasp and “Oh My God!”

“Dan! What happened? Are you OK? Oh, god.”

“I was trying to organize the closet, and something fell against the door when I crawled in to get something. I tried everything to get it open and then the handle fell off. I am not feeling so good right now. Dehydrated, I think.”

“Oh, no! Umm…do you think you have some strength in you to press against the door? I am gonna try and pull on my end. Just give me a second. I have to move a few boxes.”

“Yeah. I think I am good.”

Peering through the hole, he saw Phil pushing something from in front of the door. Phil then put a couple fingers into the hole, ready to pull. He got his body ready against the door.

“Ok. Get ready and PUSH!”

While Phil pulled with all his strength, he pushed on the door with all that he had. Trying to give leverage as he tried to do earlier.

Nothing.

The door didn’t budge one inch.

They took a break. He was breathing heavily from his exertion.

“Why isn’t this working? Dan, can you try again?”

“I think I have one more go. Go see if we have any tools to break open the door if this doesn’t work.”

They tried one more time, putting all their strength into it. The door made a small groan, but didn’t give at all.

After a minute, Phil spoke up, a little breathless.

“I have to call 999. We don’t have any tools that would help. We only have a couple screw drivers and a small hammer. Would take me hours to even get somewhere. I don’t think you want to be in there any longer than you have to.”

“Shawshank Redemption?” Trying to add a little humor into this already weird situation.

“Exactly.”

He heard Phil dial and then put it on speaker phone.

“999, What’s your emergency?”


	4. Chapter 4

“999, What’s your emergency?”

“Hi, um, my roommate got trapped in our storage closet at home. We tried everything to open the door, but we don’t have the tools to get it to budge.” Phil answered the question.

“Ok, thank you. What’s your address?”

He rattled that off quickly, hoping that that they would be coming quickly.

“How long has he been in there? Is he injured in any way?”

“Dan, did you hear that?”

Phil moved the speaker closer to the hole, not knowing the answer himself.

“Hi, I’ve been in here maybe since 3 am. Not injured. But I am not feeling well. Dizzy and nauseous. Haven’t had anything to drink or eat since noonish yesterday. I was on a cleaning spree before that as well, so I think I overdid it.”

That earned a sigh from Phil.

“How are you able to communicate at this time, sir?”

“The door knob fell off when I tried turning it to open the door. So there’s that.”

“Alright, do you have access to water? Can your roommate bring you some?”

Phil nodded as if the operator could hear him. He remembered he had to speak up.

“Yes, I can try and get a water bottle to him.”

“Alright, sir. I’ll stay on the line with you.”

Phil made his way to the kitchen.

Making sure the door was closed to the kitchen, he asked, “how long until rescue can get here? And, you can call me Phil.”

“Unfortunately, it may be a little while longer. They have been very busy today. As long as he is alert and talking and you can get him some water. Try food if he is able to keep that down. He shouldn’t be in any immediate danger. I’ll stay on the line with you. Should his circumstances change, you let me know immediately and we will get help as fast as we can.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

He looked in the refrigerator and saw that they did have some small bottled water. He went though their snack drawer and was able to find a couple power bars that they had received as a gift from some fans.

He made is way back to the closet with water bottles and snack in hand. Praying that they will fit.

“Phil, you can call me Fiona.”

“Hey, Dan. I have the water bottles. I have a couple power bars too. I hope they fit.”

He placed the water bottle in first, and with a tight squeeze, they both made it through.

“Tell him to take small sips. Anything more than that, he may get sick.”

He heard a weak “OK" from inside.

“Dan, this is Fiona. How are you feeling now?”

“I think the water is helping a little. The food is making me nauseous. I don’t think I can eat it. I have a persistent headache, and feel dizzy when I try to move my head too fast. I also haven’t taken my medication this morning. I’ve felt this way before when I wasn’t able to get my prescription filled for at least two weeks, due to some error with my doctor. I don’t know if that is causing this as well. But it’s pretty stuffy and humid in here. Hard to concentrate.”

“Ok, I will mark that in my notes for the attending at the hospital when you get transported. They will make their determination there. I don’t want you to take anything right now until they can check you out. I now have ETA for rescue and ambulance. They should arrive in about 10 minutes.”

“Fiona, I don’t know if I mentioned, but we have a lot of stairs to our place and no elevator. We are only the second floor, but it’s just a lot of stairs. Oh, and we have to buzz them in.”

Phil looked around and saw that the hallway was partially blocked. He put the phone down on the suitcase that was leaning against the wall right next to the door, so he could free up his hands. He pushed the offending items closer to their bedroom doors. Hall was now clear for the rescue team.

“That’s alright. I have that in the system. They can adapt to each call. I will let you know when they arrive. Thank you for being so patient.”

Dan spoke up again. Voice sounding a little stronger, but still raspy.

“This must be one of your weirder calls, huh?”

“Surprisingly, no. This seems to happen quite often. And usually they do the things to get stuck purposefully. Though the callers aren’t usually this calm. They are yelling and cursing at me or in hysterics, so it takes a while for me to get the information. Phil staying calm, keeps you calm and that in turn, makes the jobs of the first responders go more smoothly.”

“Well, I guess I am glad we are doing so well. Usually it’s me, who is the clumsy one and getting hurt. I have two left feet and have fallen down our steps several times. I get distracted a lot. Or I just bump into things on a daily basis.” Phil said while making sure nothing else was in way.

“Oh, dear.” Was all the operator could say to that one. “Fire and Paramedics should be here shortly. Phil, you can go to the door to buzz them in.”

“Ok, should I hang up now?”

“Not until they enter your home. Should something happen before then, I want to be able to let them know.”

Phil moved to the front door. He could hear sirens coming closer.

A minute later he heard the buzzer. He pressed the button to open the door and opened the front door, stepping into the narrow hallway to guide them.

The firemen quickly made it up the steps, with several serious looking tools in their hands and the paramedics following closely behind.

“Fiona, they are here. I’m gonna go. Thank you for your help.”

“No problem. Good luck. I’m sure they will work quickly. Dan will be just fine.”

Phil guided the team into his home and toward the storage closet.

“My name is Matt and this is my partner Tanner. Can you tell me what happened?”

“My roommate, Dan, was trying to organize the storage closet. He managed to get everything out, as you can see. He crawled in to get something in the corner. Something fell against the door and now we can’t get it open. The door knob fell off in his attempt to get out earlier. The door is really jammed. We couldn’t even get it to budge.”

He turned to the paramedics as Matt and Tanner started examining the door.

“He said he was complaining of dizziness, nausea, and headache. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. With the heat and humidity and him cleaning all day, first his room and then this, he isn’t feeling so great. I was able to get him some water just a little while ago.”

They nodded, taking some notes. Lanie and Suzanne they said.

Matt nodded to Tanner and motioned for Phil and the paramedics to stand back.

“This door is completely warped. This wood looks really old and the paint is thick. This weather lately sure did a number on it. Hey, Dan. We are gonna try a few things with the door. Can you move as far as you can, so we don’t get you. And cover your head if you can. Your shirt should do just fine.”

“Ok.”

Tanner picked up the sledge hammer and whacked each corner of the door several times. Matt used a crowbar to stick in the hole and pulled. The door moved very slightly, but still didn’t give.

Tanner gave the corners a few more hits. Then hit the middle of the door, near the handle, several times, cracking it in the middle. Another few whacks to completely split the middle. Matt then used the crowbar to dislodge the top section of the door and set it aside. The bottom came off a little easier. They gathered their tools and moved off to the side with the rest of the door.

Lanie and Suzanne moved toward the now doorless closet.

“Hey Dan, do you think you can crawl out on your own?”

Phil watched as Dan uncurled himself and pulled his shirt down that was covering his face. He gasped. His hair was plastered to his head and he looked completely exhausted. His eyes squinting as they adjusted to the light. He groaned a little.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Dan slowly crawled out and into the hallway. He sat down and closed his eyes again. “Dizzy.”

Lanie swooped in and started taking vitals, making notes in her chart. Suzanne was setting up the stretcher that looked more like a wheelchair.

“His heat rate is elevated and oxygen levels are a bit on the low side. Do you feel like you are having trouble breathing?”

Dan shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve been trying to control my breathing from the nausea.”

She nodded her head. More notes. “Do you think you can stand up and move to chair. Or do you need help?”

“I think I need help. Too dizzy to focus.”

Lanie and Suzanne got on either side of Dan and scooped him up with ease and settled him in the stretcher chair..

“I’m impressed. I’m so big! And I think I am about to pass out.”

Phil watched as the paramedics secured him in as well as support his head as he promptly passed out.

“Dan!” Not something he wanted to see.

“He is going to be OK. Probably just the adrenaline wearing off.”

“Can I come with you? I don’t have car.”

“You can sit up front.”

Phil watched as Matt and Tanner assisted in carrying the chair to the front door and then started going down the stairs. He quickly checked that he had his phone and keys and found his charger lying on the couch.

He locked the door and followed close behind. Glancing at his phone he noticed that PJ texted and called several times while the rescue was going on.

Louise must have reached out to him. He made a mental note to call him back once they got to the hospital.

One thought popped in his head as he got into the passenger seat of the ambulance and they started moving.

Landlord won’t be happy about the destroyed property.


	5. Chapter 5

Phil wished that he could have sat in the back of the ambulance, so he could hold Dan’s hand to show him that someone was there for him.

Or at the very least, look back from where he was sitting in the passengers seat to see how he was doing. This ambulance didn’t have a window to the back. Was that weird? Isn’t that mandatory, so the driver can know what’s going on?

Maybe he should ask the driver. 

That’s not appropriate at this time. The little voice in head was telling him. 

This time he chose to listen to it, as most of the time he will blurt something out without thinking and it always earned him weird looks.

Plus, he wanted the driver to concentrate on the road. She didn't need distractions.

He didn’t even get to finish his thought, when they arrived at the ambulance drop off at the hospital. 

Had it only been five minutes? He didn’t realize they live so close to one. Of course, they had lights and sirens to get to the destination quicker.

He hopped out and saw that they had pulled Dan out on the stretcher already and started wheeling him into the ER. It looked like Dan was still unconscious. 

Lanie had been in the back, monitoring Dan, and seemed to be the main person to inform the medical staff of his ailments. 

“25 year old, male. Dehydrated after spending several hours trapped in a storage closet at his residence. Had been doing manual labor prior to incident, in the home. Complaining of headache, dizziness and nausea. He was able to crawl out on his own, but passed out as soon as we put him on the stretcher. Heart rate was slightly elevated, and oxygen levels low. All within normal range now.”

Phil stood off to the side, not sure what to do, and not wanting to get in the way.

Lanie motioned for him after Dan was wheeled in.

“Phil, do you know what to do next? You are looking a little lost there.”

“I don’t know. I…”, shaking his head, at a loss for words. He already felt empty without Dan.

“All you have to do is go the front desk, which is just to the left there and give your information. They will give you a form to fill out for Dan. Do the best you can. A doctor will come to see you when they are finished evaluating him. Take care of your self.”

“Thank you Lanie. I do have one question. You might think this is weird or stupid.”

“Nothing is stupid in this field of work. What were you going to ask?”

“Dan might be yelling at me right now for asking it. Ha. Umm…why don’t you have windows that looks back at the patient and your partner?

“That’s a very good question, actually. Some vehicles do have that. But we prefer not to be distracted while driving. If something urgent comes up, where we need to pull over and administer better care before the hospital, then the person in the back will talk into their walkie. Simple as that.”

“Oh, wow. That does make sense. Thanks. And thank you for all your help!”

“No problem. Dan is in good hands.”

With that she jumped into the ambulance, with her partner, and waved as they left on another call.

Phil walked into the hospital and found the front desk. Providing his information and took a form from the receptionist. The waiting room was fairly large, with only a few people waiting there. 

He sat down in the corner, away from people and filled out the form. It seemed fairly easy, as he knew just about everything there is about Dan.

When it came to the question: What is your relationship to the patient?

He hesitated for a second, but then put Husband. 

He felt bad for doing it, but he had injured himself a couple years back. Just a broken finger from when a food delivery guy on a bicycle crashed into him, when he was illegally riding on the sidewalk. He had insisted he was fine, but a bystander said he fell and hit his head too. He didn’t remember that, and was cleared of any concussion at the hospital. Dan had not been able to see him or get any type of update. They had to call his parents, who had been in Florida for the summer, to give permission to let Dan be part of it all.

Come to think of it, they had meant to draw up a plan and give to their lawyer to draw up a living will, if you want to call it that. That way they could be each others medical proxy. They just never got around to doing it. Life got in the way.

He pulled out his phone and opened his notes section.

Notes  
Buy AC unit  
**Call PJ - DO NOW**  
**Call Mom - DO NOW**  
**Call Louise - DO NOW**  
Call Landlord - door (ugh)  
Call Lawyer - wills/proxy? (gross, but important)  
Tell Dan

He double checked the form and returned it to the desk.

He dialed PJ’s phone. He picked up right away.

“Hello, Phil? What’s going on? Dan is missing? Louise called me. We both tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Hi PJ. Everything is fine. Well, not totally fine. But Dan was actually home the whole time.”

“What, I don’t understand. And what’s not fine? Is he hurt?”

“Kind of a funny story. He was cleaning out the storage closet under our stairs. He had gotten most of the stuff out, but crawled in to get something in the back. Something fell against the door and slammed it shut. The weather we’ve had lately, warped it so much, that Dan and I couldn’t open it by ourselves. We called rescue and they had to break the door. Dan was so dehydrated that he passed out on the way to the hospital. I am in the waiting room right now. I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“What? Are you serious? Only something like that could happen to Dan. Well, now he has great material for his next video. I just hope he is alright. Thank you for letting me know. Is there anything I can do?”

“Maybe this is a bit of a strange request. But would you be able to order me an AC unit. You know the one I have, right? It is on the fritz. I want to be able to have a comfortable house again. We can’t keep living in this heat. Dan can’t. I need to make a few more calls. And I don’t know how long I am going to be here.”

“Of course I will do that. It is just your luck, that I am in London right now, gathering some stuff for our collab. I have the spare key to your place with me. I will set everything up.”

“Oh my gosh, you are a life saver. Thank you!”

“No problem, just send me an update when you can.”

They hung up and he took a deep breath. 

He called Louise back and caught an earful from her. She wasn’t angry, just worried that she hadn’t heard from him after a few hours had passed. 

He then called his mum and told her what happened. She must have gasped quite dramatically that his dad popped on the line as well. He repeated the story, not leaving out any detail. They talked for a little while longer and said that he and Dan will try and visit another time. Dan would not want to travel after this event. They understood.

He sat back and rested his head against the wall, eyes closed. 

“Family of Daniel Howell?”

He sat up and saw a tired looking nurse holding a chart at the door of the waiting room.

He stood up and raised his hand awkwardly. A tightness in his stomach, as he waited for the news.

She smiled and came over to him.

“Dan is in stable condition and will be moved to a recovery room. Please be patient as this process takes some time. And he will be staying overnight, just for observation.”

“Thank you. Will I be able to stay with him, once he is moved?”

“I will have to check with the doctor who is attending to him. But usually in these cases, it is allowed. I will be back to let you know.”

He sat down with a sigh. Stomach unclenching. 

He texted PJ an update and then, just waited.

It was about an hour later when the nurse came back and guided him to Dan’s room. He had been given permission to stay. She showed that the chair next next to his bed could be turned into a cot.

Dan was sleeping peacefully, a nasal cannula, helping him with his oxygen levels as the nurse explained. Several IV’s inserted into his arms. Keeping him hydrated and other things he didn’t quite understand.

His hair had been slicked back, but starting to curl at the edges. He loved Dan’s curly hair, and would often tell him that. Dan would occasionally let it go natural, only when he was too lazy to do anything, but he couldn’t help himself and straightened it right away. Stating he needed to keep his edgy look. He never believed that explanation.

He got settled in the chair, scrolling through his phone. He sent a short but detailed email to his lawyer. Thought about sending one to the landlord, but didn’t know where to start with that one.

A nurse peeked her head in and handed him a duffle bag. 

“Your friend, PJ I think his name was, dropped this off at the front desk. A change of clothes for the both of you and some other things. We will come in periodically to check on Dan. He is doing well. If all looks good in the morning, he will be free to go home.”

Opening the bag, he found the clothes. Also in the bag, he found several kinds of snacks and drinks. Dan’s wallet, cell phone and charger. A couple books and a blanket.

He smiled at that. PJ knew him and Dan so well.

Dan had stirred several times, but never woke up. The nurses had said that is normal after a stressful event, and if he hadn’t been sleeping well, then his body was just trying to catch up.

Feeling the pull of sleep, he took out the blanket and adjusted the chair, pulling it closer to Dan’s bed.

He reached over to take Dan’s hand in his own. Happy that he was able to do that now.

He fell asleep to the whirring of machines.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this in 2018 and developed major writers block.
> 
> Work and life got in the way. 
> 
> I can tackle this again, as I am currently unemployed and have been on stay at home orders, since mid March.
> 
> Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Kind.
> 
> Stay Home & Wash Your Hands!


End file.
